Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
book_n ancient_a time_n write_v 1,996 5 5.4420 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A31466 To Dr. ------ an answer to his queries concerning the Colledg of Midwives Cellier, Elizabeth, fl. 1680. 1688 (1688) Wing C1663; ESTC R29948 4,807 9

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

those that did it well and carefully and imposing severe Penalties upon the unskilful and negligent And there were many Noble Women who studied that Practise and taught it publickly in their Schools as long as Athens flourished in Learning But Phanarota the Mother of wise Socrates who was a Woman of great Learning and Skill deserves a particular remembrance both for her own and her Son's sake who as it is believed by many was a Martyr being put to Death for professing there was but one God which Wisdom himself saith he learned of his Mother Thus Doctor it appears even that Learned Idolatrous City had in it a Midwife that knew and feared the true God Tho as the Apostle saith there was an Altar therein dedicated to the unknown God c. This Ambrose Perre Counsellour and Chyrurgion to the King of France and his Ingenuous Disciple Gulielmus prove fully and that is as far as my small Learning and weak Capacity goes But you Doctor may prove it more at large when you please by the Hebrew Greek Latin and Arabick Books which treat on these Subjects in which times the three parts of Physick Midwifery Chirurgery and the making up and administring of Medicines were all one tho the last which was then the servile part hath now usurp'd upon the other two but we pretend only to the First as being the most Antient Honourable and Vseful Part Wherein we desire you not to concern your selves until we desire your Company which we will certainly do as often as we have occasion for your Advice in any thing we do not understand or which doth not appertain to our Practice But to come into our own Country it is not hard to prove by antient British Books and Writings that before the Romans came hither here were Colledges of Women practising Physick dedicated to some of the Female Deities but whether so antient as the Bards I cannot tell tho some old British Songs written in praise of the Goddess Trawth seem to prove it but they were in the time of the Druides as appears both by Brittish and French Books and the Name of Wise Women by which Midwives are still called in France and most of the Western Parts as they are by that of Wise Mother in the Low-Countries Germany and most of the Northern Parts of the World. And here in London were Colledges of Women about the Temple of Diana who was Goddess of Midwives here as well as at Ephesus From whence the Grecians say she was absent at Q. Olympia's Labour who was that Night deliver'd of Alexander the Great where she was so fully employed that she could not defend her Stately Temple which was burned down by Herostrateus the Shoemaker to perpetuate his Name Nor did the Bishops pretend to License Midwives till Bp. Bonner's time who drew up the Form of the first License which continued in full force till 1642 and then the Physicians and Chirurgions contending about it it was adjudged a Chyrurgical Operation and the Midwives were Licensed at Chirurgions-Hall but not till they had passed three Examinations before six skilful Midwives and as many Chirurgions expert in the Art of Midwifery Thus it continued until the Act of Uniformity passed which sent the Midwives back to Doctors Commons where they pay their Money take an Oath which is impossible for them to keep and return home as skilful as they went thither I make no Reflections on those learned Gentlemen the Licensers but refer the curious for their further satisfaction to the Yearly Bills of Mortality from 42 to 62 Collections of which they may find at Clerks-Hall Which if they please to compare with these of late Years they will find there did not then happen the eight part of the Casualties either to Women or Children as do now I hope Doctor these Considerations will deter any of you from pretending to teach us Midwifery especially such as confess they never delivered Women in their Lives and being asked What they would do in such a Case reply they have not yet studied it but will when occasion serves This is something to the purpose I must confess Doctor But I doubt it will not satisfy the Women of this Age who are so sensible and impatient of their Pain that few of them will be prevailed with to bear it in Complement to the Doctor while he fetches his Book studies the Case and teaches the Midwife to perform her work which she hopes may be done before he comes I protest Doctor I have not Power enough with the Women to hope to prevail with them to be patient in this case and I think if the Learnedst of you all should propose it whilst the Pains are on he would come off with the same Applause which Phormio had who having never seen a Battel in his Life read a Military Lecture to Hannibal the Great But let this pass Doctor as I do the Discourses you have often made to me on this Subject and I will tell you something worthy of your most serious Consideration Which is That in September last our Gracious Soveraign was pleased to promise to unite the Midwives into a Corporation by His Royal Charter and also to found a Cradle-Hospital to breed up exposed Children to prevent the many Murders and the Executions which attend them which pious Design will never want a suitable Return from God who no doubt will fully reward his Care for preserving so many Innocents as would otherwise be lost And I doubt not but one way will be by giving him a Prince by his Royal Consort who like another Moses may become a Mighty Captain for the Nation and lead to Battel the Soldiers which the Hospital will preserve for him And now Doctor let me put you in mind that tho you have often Laughed at me and some Doctors have accounted me a Mad Woman these last four Years for saying Her Majesty was full of Children and that the Bath would assist her Breeding 'T is now proved so true that I have cause to hope my self may live to praise God not only for a Prince of Wales and a Duke of York but for many other Royal Babes by Her and if the over Officious will but be pleased to let them live I hope in a few Years to see them Muster their little Soldiers Which Joyful Sight I believe is the hearty Desire of all Loyal Subjects of what Persuasion soever as it is the daily and fervent Prayer of Your Servant ELIZABETH CELLEOR From my House in Arundel-street near St. Clement's Church in the Strand Jan. 16. 1687 8. Where the Word of a King is there is Power and who shall say unto him What doest thou Eccles 8. vers 4. FINIS Let this be Printed SUNDERLAND P.